Self-aligning valve



- Original Filed Der. A 4, 1921 Patented June l5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.-

PHILIP LANE -SCOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SUPER-DIESEL TRACTOR CORPORATION, 0F LA PORTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SELF-ALIGNING VALVE.

Application illed October 4, 1921, Serial No.1505,21. Renewed January 6, 1926.

` This invention relates to an atomizing valve and particularly to a. valve whichis used in connection with internal combustion engines as a fuel injection valve.

vSuch valve'constructions normally must include a valve head and a seat upon which the possibility of having the valve head rest against one side'of the seat while it is open and bear unevenly at closure depends upon the degree of' accuracy of machinin and assembling the parts. Since such injection valves are generally comparatively small in size, this problem fis always acute, although itis to some lextent capable of mechanical solution. When, however, the size of the valve opening is reduced, errors in guiding bear more and more important relation to the size of the opening and tend increasingly to produce poor closures and ununiform and otherwise unsatisfactory sprays. Where the valve is mechanically guided at the time of seating two restraints are imposed upon the movement of the valve head, namely that caused by the mechanical guiding, and that caused by contact'with the valve seat, and unless these two restraints tend along the same line poor closure, uneven wear, and unsatisfactory atomization are inevitable. As the size of the valve opening is decreased, a point is reached beyond which satisfactory mechanical guiding is impossible. I have discovered that the parts may be made self aligning, and that such an arrangement is of advantage with valves of all dimensions andessential with valves having very minute atomizing openings. My invention therefore has for one object to produce a self aligning valve in which the mountng and arrangement of the parts formng the valve opening is such that they tend automatically l to assume proper relative positions. E

With the self aligning valve of this invention the valve head is at the time of closing under the single restraint of the valve seat, and it is therefore certain properly to locate itself withinthe valve seat so as to cause complete closure and uniform pressure upon the valve seat which makes for unii'orm wear upon .the parts. When the valve 1s open, the valve head is under the inuence only of the liquid flowing through the open seat and is not positively held in any fixed position which with a poor guide might be eld against one side of the seat. Since there is no restraint other than that of the liquid, the valve head'tends to produce an vopening' around the entire periphery of the valve and may assume any position within the limits of the seat, though it might not lie absolutely centrally.

The construction of my invention avoids the necessity of close limits in the machining of the valve parts and particular care or accuracy in the assembling. The invention is illustrated more orf-,less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein: l

The figure shows a vertical cross section of my valve throughout.l Y

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout. Y

A is a valve housing having a longitudinal passage A therein. A2 is a sleeve, screw threaded in the valvehousing having a passage A4 in line with a passage Awhich in turn communicates with the passage A. A6 is a fluid supply `pipe communicating with the passage A* and connected up with the sleeve A2 by the coupling A7.

B is a'cap, screw threaded on the discharge end of the valve housing. The housing is itself screw threaded in the wall B of an engine cylinder or the pressure 4 stem B7. The stem is enlarged at its upper l end, surrounded by a packing Bs and compressed' by a gland B9. The end of the valve stem is screw threaded as at B10 and :a hand wheel Bl1 has a screw threaded enr gagement therewith being held against longitudinal displacement on the yoke B12 may be made without departingmaterially from the spirit of 1n invention, and wish therefore that my s owing be taken as in a sensediagrammatical. In particular, although I have here sho-wn the valve stem as movable andthe valve seat as substantially stationary, so faras lateral movement is' concerned, the conditions might be reversed and the valve seat itself might be mounted so as to be self aligning with relation to a rigidly held valve stem.

While in the form shown the valve head is flexibly and movably mounted, the valve head might be held rigidly and the valve disc might'be movable so as to be self aligning with relation to the head, and either of these constructions is within the contemplation of my invention and I do not wish t be limited to the form sho-wn.

The valve of the .form shown is adapted to be opened by hydraulic pressure from within which deflects the disc until it is out of Contact with the valve head. My idea of the self aligning valve might, however, be applied to a mechanically opening valve, and this would be true whether the valve is opened by mechanical movement of the valve head or the valve seat.Y

The use and operation of m-y' invention are as follows:

The stem carrying the needle point or valve head as here shown is made relatively small in diameter in comparison to its length, with vthe object of obtaining considerable exibility, and the needle tip or valve head is given generous clearance in the valve bore. No attempt is made accurately to position the discs or locate the seat, whether in the disc itself or in the inserted seat plug.` In the construction shown very generous leeway is permitted.

This construction permits the needle, if

to within an amount not greater than the diameter of the'hole to align itself within the hole. If the point finds the hole at all when being moved downward into position, it will pass into the holewith relative freedom and locate itself on the seat centrally with satisfactorily uniform pressure on all sides.

I claim:

l. In4 an atomizing valve two oriice forming members, the support for one being rigidly fixed, the support for the other` being rigidly ixed at its base, and due to its own elasticity adapted to be flexed laterally and vin the normal operation of the valve held against axial movement, members .adapted to have relative movement in response to hydraulic pressure to form an atomizing orifice.

2. In an atomizing valve two orifice forming members, the support for one be.- ing rigidly fixed, the support for the other being rigidly fixed at its base, and due to its ownelasticity adapted to be flexed laterally and thereby being self centering, and in vthe normal operationof the valve held against axial movement, the two members adapted to have relative movement in response to hydraulic pressure to form an atomizing orifice.

3. 'In an atomizing valve a perforated spring disc rigidly supported and a cooperating needlevalve member adapted to close the perforation in said disc, the support for said valve member being rigidly fixed at its base, and due to its own elasticity adapted to be flexed laterally, and in the normal operation of the valve held againstaxial movement, the disc adapted to move away from the needle in response to hydraulic pressure to form the atomizing oriice.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 22nd day of September, 1921.v

PHILIP LANE SCOTT. g

the two Y 

